A Dunkin' Donuts employee was reportedly fired after he gave a homeless woman a cup telling her not to hang around the chain.

"I would very much like the chance to reach out to the person and apologize for what happened," the location's franchisee told The Cincinnati Enquirer.

The incident comes at a time when fast-food chains and retailers are grappling with their treatment of homeless individuals.

A Cincinnati Dunkin' Donuts location is under fire after an employee wrote a message on a cup telling a homeless woman to "stop hangin' around" the store.

A photo of the cup quickly spread on Facebook over the last week. While the original post has been deleted, the photo shows a cup with the inscription: "Stop 'Hangin' around in front of the store. If you have a Full Time JOB!"

Cincinnati's former city council candidate Brian Garry shared a screenshot of the photo, taken at a Dunkin' Donuts location in downtown Cincinnati, last Thursday.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the employee who wrote the message no longer works at the doughnut chain.

"It goes against everything we stand for," Mike Benhase, who owns the location, told The Enquirer. "We're just a small family business and we preach to our employees long and hard about the values of respect and dignity."

"I feel bad for that person," Benhase continued. "I would very much like the chance to reach out to the person and apologize for what happened."

Dunkin' Donuts did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, but told The Enquirer that the company and franchisees "share the goal of creating a welcoming and hospitable environment for all guests."

The incident comes at a time when fast-food chains and retailers are grappling with their treatment of homeless individuals.